The Tiffany Guide to Diamonds

Brilliant. Scintillating. Symbolic. There are four key factors to consider when choosing a diamond. Discover the importance of the 4Cs—cut, carat weight, colour and clarity—and presence, Tiffany’s distinctive fifth quality standard. Learn what makes a Tiffany diamond so extraordinary.

Cut

Cut is the most important factor. It refers to the precise positioning, shape and angle of a diamond’s facets, which together create that breathtaking brilliance. Let’s take a closer look.

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In profile, the diamond’s ideal proportion and individual features are easily observed.

Learn more about a diamond’s features

Girdle

The narrow band that circumscribes the edge where crown and pavilion meet. The girdle may be polished or gently bruted.

Pavilion

The portion of the diamond below the girdle, including the culet.

Culet

A small, protective facet cut on the point of the pavilion. On some brilliant-cut diamonds, the facet is octagonal. On the keel of some step-cut diamonds, the facet is rectangular.

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From above, the diamond’s symmetry and precision of cut are even more visible and more astonishing.

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Table

The large facet in the centre of the crown of a polished diamond. The shape of the table varies based on a diamond’s cut. On a round brilliant-cut diamond, the table is octagonal in shape.

Crown

The upper part of a diamond, above the girdle plane.

Shape

Every Tiffany diamond is precisely cut to enhance the beauty of its shape.

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Cushion

A cushion cut features modified brilliant-cut facets, and can have a rectangular or square shape with curved sides or rounded corners. Tiffany Legacy® is a cushion modified brilliant cut designed by Tiffany & Co. and introduced in 2004.

Square

Cushion

A cushion cut features modified brilliant-cut facets, and can have a rectangular or square shape with curved sides or rounded corners. Tiffany Legacy® is a cushion modified brilliant cut designed by Tiffany & Co. and introduced in 2004.

Princess

Round Brilliant

Arguably the quintessential diamond, and certainly among the most radiant, a round brilliant cut features 57 or 58 facets, made up of kite-shaped, star and triangular facets. The girdle of this shape may be either faceted or bruted. It may or may not have a culet on the pavilion.

Pear

Carat Weight

“Carat” denotes the weight of a diamond. Taken by itself, carat weight does not determine a diamond’s value. Two diamonds of equal weight can vary widely in price. Tiffany diamonds are always cut to maximise brilliance, not carat weight. True to our higher standards, beauty trumps size every time.

Colour

The ideal engagement ring is clear. Diamonds may appear colourless, but minute impurities within each stone create subtle tints of colour. Each stone is colour-graded to a precise scale from “D” (colourless) to “Z” (saturated). Only diamonds of colour “I” (near colourless) or better are accepted by Tiffany.

Lights, please

When grading colour, we use ultraviolet light to expose a diamond’s fluorescence. A stone that has strong or excessive fluorescence will have a milky appearance in natural lighting. These do not meet the Tiffany quality distinction and are not accepted by the Tiffany Gemological Laboratory.